2 entries from July 2014

Monday, July 28, 2014

Passionate about grilling? Want to ensure restaurant-style quality cooking at an affordable price?

Look no further than Swiss Grills and Blaze Grills, two brands we’re stocking in all five Rich's showrooms. We're impressed with the design, quality, and function of these gas grills, and we think you will be, too.

Here’s a brief introduction to the Swiss Grill Arosa Series and the Blaze 5-burner grill.

Swiss Grill Arosa Series

Grilling Alfresco is a year-round experience with an Arosa Series grill. Completely stainless steel inside and out, Swiss Grills have been popular in Europe for 24 years and are making their first appearance in the U.S.

The Swiss are known for their attention to detail, and their grills are no exception. The grill’s hood features cast aluminum end caps and a double-walled stainless steel hood panel, which holds the heat inside the grill for better cooking performance.

The cooking grids are built from heavyweight stainless steel with a polished edge.

Stainless steel flame tamers keep flare-ups at bay. The flame tamers divert dripping juices away from the burner and allow those juices to vaporize and float back up on the food, giving it that delectable outdoor barbecue flavor.

The Arosa A250SS, which we’re featuring here, includes 6 stainless steel tubular burners. Each heavyweight burner has its own separate igniter.

The side burner has a flush cover, enabling you to use that space as a prep area when you’re not using the side burner. Underneath the side-burner’s cover is a ceramic infrared burner that runs at very high temperatures. The infrared burner is perfect for searing ahi tuna or steak and it performs consistently, regardless of whether it’s windy or cold outside.

When you’re cooking at a high temperature, the stainless steel warming rack serves as secondary cooking surface when you’re cooking at a high temperature or when you want to cook or heat items that don’t require as much heat, such as vegetables or bread.

You’ll love the infrared ceramic burner behind the warming rack, which provides 2000 BTUs of heat for rotisserie cooking of a chicken or roast. Rotisserie cooking keeps the juices in while nicely browning the outside of the food. Best of all, Arosa grills come standard with a commercial-grade rotisserie kit.

The grill includes a two-level rack; raise it for searing meat or lower it and put a pot or pan on it and use as a side burner.

A large thermometer shows you exactly what the temperature is inside the grill.

And, in typical Swiss fashion, each grill is equipped with a bright red bottle opener so you can enjoy a beverage while you’re cooking.

The stainless steel grill cart features two front doors for storing your propane tank, grill cover and BBQ accessories. The cart also includes four heavy duty caster wheels, allowing you to relocate the grill easily whenever necessary, and two side shelves for a convenient work area.

Loads of delicious food and drink recipes, plus great ideas for outdoor living on Rich's Pinterest boards.

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For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Shade. It’s a hot commodity during the summer months, particularly when you’re relaxing outdoors. Patio umbrellas provide blessed relief from the scorching rays, and many of them tilt at angles to more effectively block the sun.

One of the best shade-providing umbrellas we’ve found is the 11′ Octagon – AKZ umbrella from Treasure Garden. At 117 inches tall (9.75 feet), this monster provides 100 square feet of shade. Plus, it tilts and swings; you can easily rotate the umbrella to shade both your dining area and your spa/lounge area.

We stock the 11’ AKZ umbrella at Rich’s, and you can also special-order a custom umbrella. You can choose a canopy style, canopy fabric, frame/base color and accessories.

Here’s a picture of an 11’ octagon cantilever umbrella we customized with a double wind vent and valence. The canopy fabric color is buttercup, the frame is bronze, and we accessorized with a large VEGA umbrella light.

Tips for Shopping for a Patio Umbrella

Size

The cantilever umbrellas we sell at Rich’s come in 10’, 11’ and 13’ octagon or square shapes (we also sell smaller sized umbrellas). To get complete coverage of the area you want to shade, measure the area you plan to shade, and ask us which size umbrella will shade that amount of space.

Freestanding or Offset

Freestanding umbrellas are designed to rest in the hole in the center of a patio dining table. Measure the hole in the center of your table to ensure that the center pole of your umbrella is the correct thickness to fit in the hole.

Offset patio umbrellas such as the 11’ AKZ can shade your dining area, chaise lounge chairs, spa, or grill area (when the grill is not lit). They’re more versatile than freestanding umbrellas but they cost more because they are equipped with a base, tilt mechanism, crank lift or other high-end features.

Base

Offset umbrellas require a base (stand). Make sure you purchase a base that is weighted to support the size and shape of the umbrella you choose, and that the base accommodates the umbrella pole’s width.

Subscribe to our blog via your feed reader or receive our latest posts in your e-mail Inbox. Simply click “Subscribe to this blog’s feed” or fill out the form located in the right-hand sidebar of our blog.

Visit Rich's Website

For more details about our products and for directions to our showrooms, visit richshome.com.